Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Cost Of Kosher Food Rises

This item in the Jewish Press notes that a recent survey shows that the cost of a kosher lifestyle has risen in recent years:

A recent survey by the American Jewish Committee shows that American Jews need $25,000-$35,000 a year for what it termed “intensive Jewish experiences” – defined as synagogue membership, Jewish Center membership, Jewish day school and camp experiences, donations and kosher food.

Industry sources say that, on average, the cost of kosher food has risen by approximately 10% over the last year, and this does not include the cost of kosher foods for Passover.

Considering the way my grocery bills have looked lately, I don't find those figures too hard to believe at all.

Can anyone back these survey results with their own anecdotal evidence? And anyone notice any pre-Passover price gouging around your necks of the woods?

Also, isn't it just about time for one of those pre-Passover price-gouging PSA's that we get every year? You know, the ones where the guys from the Department of Consumer Affairs line up behind a table set with of Manischewitz matzah, grape juice, and macaroons, and warn local citizens not to allow stores to overcharge them for Passover items? Did I miss this year's?

And while there are a couple of kosher meat producers, I've heard rumors that the kosher certifiers insure they each have their own 'areas' to insure the companies survive (while also limiting competition).

your not going to believe this, I went to the kollel store in boro park to shop for pesach, and when i got home i compared the prices i spent to the brachs ad in the penny saver and brach was less on 90% of the stuff

Hundreds of dollars a month??? Well, I am always comparing prices, even writing them down. I've always felt that the not Jewish supermarkets are cheaper, but you know what--not really. Yeah, you can get good sale items, but then you make for it in other items. I just did this comparison shopping between GG and a Waldbaums near my work. A couple of items were cheaper at Waldbaums, but by pennies, many were the same, and several were cheaper at GG. (Heavy duty Reynolds foil 4.79 at Wldbms, 3.49 at GG). As a working mother, with a very tight budget, I always felt guilty that I am not looking for the best prices. I have friends who would drive ten miles for cheaper ketchup: first of all not worth my time, and second of all I dont think you save HUNDREDS.

As far as Pesach goes, I always gauge by the chicken cutlets, and at 3.89 a lb,(dont know it that will last, so go get 'em now) thats not so bad. When I first moved in, I used to go back to Brooklyn for my meat, but I'm to old and tired to fight those crowds now. I wondor if you can still get a cutlet for 2.99 there???

When my mother used to compain about the expensive butchers, my father would say "iz shver tzu zein ah yid"!

I have a spreadsheet that I use to track the prices of the products I usually buy, with columns for the three stores where I usually shop, and the internet places I order from (since we're far away from civilization). The price of kosher food has gone up in the stores 10-12% where we are, and more like 15%+ percent for internet orders, especially kosher meat. I use my spreadsheet to carefully budget our groceries for each week, and it seems like each week I have to leave something off because the prices have risen and if I buy everything on the list, I'd be over-budget. I update the spreadsheet from the grocery receipts, so it's not like it's long out of date for most things (admittedly there are some things we only buy around pesach or shavuot or sukkot or chanukkah). Prices are rising at about 1% per month, give or take.

We shop mainly at Stop & Shop and at Shoprite, as there are no local kosher markets around here. Fortunately, Shop Rite is usually very good about having kosher meat, though of course you can't get much in the way of variety-mostly it's limited to chicken and one cut of meat. Because of that, it is hard to say about prices. However, what I really don't love is when Shoprite will advertise a kosher meat "special," around the time of holidays (like now), but the price is really the same as it is all year round. Examples? Boneless chicken breasts at 5.49/lb. Steak at 6.49/lb.

Supposedly these are their specials, but I always pay that price for the chicken, and though the above cut of steak is a different one from the typical one seen, it's been priced the same for three weeks. That isn't a special, and I think what they're doing is unethical at best, but also might be illegal.

I just wrote about the Proliferation of Pesach products and wonder if these products tempt a lot of people to spend more than they normally would.

I have noticed the price of food in general increased last year when gas went through the roof. Doesn't look as though it has gone down. I imagine the kosher market has followed suit and maybe more too.

As for us, we only have chicken or meat on Shabbat and Yom Tov, rarely buy pricier cuts of meat, and limit our cheese usage also since kosher cheese is a fortune. We also buy very few kosher specialty products. I'm one of those homemakers who makes nearly everything from scratch, shops the circulars, cuts some coupons, stocks up, and regularly visits a number of different grocery and drug stores. If groceries are costing us a fortune, I can only imagine what others are paying. Ouch!

Incidently, I made a top 10 list for Pesach on a budget. I really should have added invest in inexpensive bakeware and tablesettings since paper goods are a fortune. I'd love it is people added some of their own tips. We are always looking for ways to keep the regular bills under control.

10%? Big deal! Factor in the increases in fuel prices which are finally filtering down to the end user, and you'll find where most of the increase is going. I bet non-kosher food items went up nearly as much. And any difference can be chaulked up to the fact that the kosher producers are working with a smaller margin to begin with, so when thier costs go up a larger portion has to be passed on to the end user, while other producers who were working with a larger mark up, had room to absorb some of the increased costs. Can't wait till the yeshivos realize that they have to increase what they're charging for private bussing. ;)

To anon 8:07--Yes, 26k for SAR high school tuition. Plus another $750 for the pathetic school dinner (a buffet with no chairs, no knives, an idiotic honoree). And they're doing you a big favor by letting your kid walk through the doors of the school.

Don't be fooled by the name Brachs for discount it is contrary while doing my comparision shopping I found GG to be 10-15% cheaper on non sale items than Brachs.Also I found GG to be a better kept store and friendlier.Do a shopping for yourself -you will be also verrry surprised.

I feel the need to jump in to disagree. I have found the new management team an absolute pleasure to work with, and a vast improvement over the old ones. They couldn't have been more helpful or accommodating. I hope it continues.

i used to be a supersol shopper and justified the high prices with the great customer service and excellent meat. then i switched to brachs because it really is much cheaper, but everytime i shopped there i left without getting everything on my list and would have to finish up at supersol anyway. i also couldn't stand the checkout. they have 10 checkout lines but only three would be open and the lines would be down the aisles. the cashier was talking to the bagger and the bagger was holding the bottle of soda in the air until they were done talking. i wanted to rip the hair out of my head (shaitel)i never liked gg due to the old owners - i felt they were rude and the customer service was terrible. now i love it. i fax in my order by 11 and it's shopped and delivered by one. they call with any problems or issues. and my bills are not expensive. i shop twice a week, i get everything now at gg and i pay for a family of 6 between 175-210 a week depending on company for shabbos. gg is a pleasure.

If you don't want to be gouged so badly, DON'T SHOP at the small JEWISH FRUM kosher STORES!!!! It's as simple as that. I live in the DC area, and will not shop at stores like Kosher Mart, Shaloms etc. when the food is just as kosher and sealed at stores like Trader Joe's, Wegman's etc. The truth is, the food at the larger chains is of better quality, the heksher's are the same, and the prices are much cheaper. Just take a look at the difference in price between Trader Joe's for kosher cheese (Tilamook cheddar and TJ's self branded Capiello Mozzarella) and poultry and Supersol for a start. Supersol??? My mother lives in NR and sometimes shops at Supersol. I once went inside and saw their prices. Unless you earn mid-six figures, you can't afford to shop there. Since I earn mid-five figures, I'll shop where I can afford to, while still keeping kosher. So long as consumers are willing to pay the higher prices and not put pressure on the food manufacturers or the rabbinical authorities to be more efficient (streamlining administrative costs would be a good place to start) consumers are going to continue to get gouged. Just a thought.

"(streamlining administrative costs would be a good place to start) consumers are going to continue to get gouged. Just a thought. "

11:53 AM

WHAT?????? Are you saying that Rabbi Eisen is not worth the $160,000??? That the vaad should not ask for mega donations of over $500,000 per annum?? Kashruth is big bucks and even bigger deceptors. BE AWARE!!

What I don't understand is why certain items like fruit juices which are ostensibly chametz and kitniyot free cannot be Kosher for Pesach year round, which would enable them to be bought for Pesach without a special hechsher.

I'm not even going to get into prices on some things that historically go up for Pesach. The one thing that the Tri-State area (where I do not live) is the fact that there is some healthy competition which would enable the careful consumer to shop around. Not so in other areas where there is only one game in town.

You askenazim espcially Mrs. "DC" are a stange lot. You would shop from a goy like TRrader Joes to save a penny instead of helping out a fellow jew who givs tzdaka, supports a beit Keneset, sends kids to Yeshivas, leads a holy jewish life and makes the minyon when you need to say kaddish. In Great Neck we will go out of our way to help a Jew even if his prices are higher in his little jewish store. Did you read what is going on Monsey with Walmart. Who wants Walmart? Is your entire life rrevolving around saving a dollar with Trader Joe and letting a fellow jew starve or go under? Maybe your community has financail problems beause you do not stick together. I see that the Indians are winning on 47th Street becasue they help each other as opposed to looking out only for their own little pocket. Why are you so happy to hurt the little "frum store?"

It is despicable that Jews would take advantage of other Jews and gouge them. In this age of free market, we have to be smart consumers and make the purchases which enable us to keep kashrut in the most cost-effective manner. If it is not viable for a community to have a locally owned and operated grocery, then that is something the market can and will determine. Face it, larger corporations can supply the goods at a more reasonable price than smaller ones. The days of most "mom and pop" groceries are long over. While it may be nice to support local Jews in local businesses, it is also true that they do not have to earn a living that way; there are other avenues for them to afford to pay for shul, school and tzedakah obligations. Keeping kosher is already enough of a financial burden. How much more is enough???? It's rather niggardly of you to assume that all Jews can afford homes as pricey as they are in the 5 Towns or anywhere in the NY Metro area. This is simply not true.

EXACTLY -- and this places a terrible burden on those of us engaged in outreach: how can the person, even when made aware of the importance of Torah and mitzvos, and on fire for G-d, then turn that into action when they can't afford a kosher burger?

The only way to change this is through grassroots development of independent kosher businesses, etc.

Here comes a real shocker.I was told by an extremely reliable source that the new owners of GOURMET GLATT are giving rabbis a discount on their purchases.DOESN'T THIS CONSTITUTE GOOD OLD FASHIONED SHOCHAD?

GG always gave many, many rabbis discounts as a courtesy... apparently the old owners did not offer the rabbonim ENOUGH OF A DISCOUNT. some rabbis were given 20% some were given 5% some 30%. Maybe the ultimate 100% discount ( as one does for mafia) should have been given.. then they would not have been forced to sell.

My boyfriend and I ended up spending $650 for passover...between the kosher butcher, the kosher groceries, all the KFP "necessities"...we want to observe g-d's law, but i earn an entry level salary and he has no income as he is med school!!

Why are you so angry with GG's new management. Brachs has always given anyone who says he is a Rabbi or Yeshivak Rebbe or a Morah a 10% discoutn just for the asking. It is the owners whether it is Yankie Brach or Chesky Kaufthiel's decsion to extend a chessid. Do you really thin the old GG owners gave 25% or 100% discounts.

It is really sad but the truth is that kosher meat is expensive. That’s why when you’re out looking for kosher products you need to be smart. If you looking for the most variety of items for a very reasonable price, I would recommend a Mail order service called www.glattondemand.comThey can service the entire country; which is great for areas where the choices are limited for Jewish consumers.

I live in South Texas- we don't have a Jewish owned grocery store here anymore. The community wouldn't/couldn't support it because the big chain in town is able to offer food items at a lower price. I knew the owner and spoke to her about the high prices of kosher food and I have spoken with the gentile man in charge of the kosher department of our large grocery chain. I got the same story from both individuals---the larger chain is able to charge less because they can afford to buy in bulk and charge less. Also the large chain will also reduce their profit margin on kosher items just to bring us into the store. It's the Walmartization of America- it has hit the Jewish community too. We all want lower prices and we deserve it considering how much a kosher lifestyle costs. The problem in many cases isn't the grocery store, some of them charge what they have to just to get by. The high prices are coming from the manufacturers of kosher food. Our big grocery chain just about sells us the meat at cost, but the cost of it is still unaffordable. $15.99 per pound for ribeye??!!?? Needless to say this household doesn't eat ribeye. Come on---this is just robbery. If this isn't gouging I don't know what is. Halacha dictates that we should buy from a jew whenever possible--- if we can afford it. The manufacturers are making this impossible!

Sorry folks disagree with most of your explanations for why kosher is higher. The stores that sell Kosher are taking advantage. Here is the proof: My daugther lives in Teaneck New Jersey. Meat in the Kosher stores there is about Twenty percent, thats right, twenty percent less expensive than where I live in Cleveland OH. Wherever there is competition on Kosher food, the prices are lower. Anyone that lives "out of town" Dallas, Cleveland etc, is being gouged. If they can sell hamburger in Teaneck for 2.25 per lb and make a profit even with the high rents and labor cost, there is no reason it should be 3.99 OR More where I live.

In cities with smaller Jewish populations, kosher dining is often limited to just a single establishment. Some cities do not have any kosher dine-in facilities, but the small communities have other arrangements for Jewish residents to obtain ready-made kosher meals and other types of food that may be hard to obtain kosher otherwise.

An interesting discussion is woгth cοmment.Therе's no doubt that that you need to publish more about this subject matter, it might not be a taboo matter but typically people don't tаlκ abοut such topісs.To thе next! All thе beѕt!!